


Love at First Sight

by mortenavida



Series: MCU Kink Bingo 2018 [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bearded Steve Rogers, I Do, M/M, Not Beta Read, Tony's AI, blame the stucky au slack chat, sentient arm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 08:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15602844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mortenavida/pseuds/mortenavida
Summary: They don’t know why it happened, but Bucky’s arm just can’t seem to get enough of Steve’s beard.





	Love at First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, the Stucky AU Big Bang has a slack chat and this is the stuff we get ideas for and it’s amazing. Take a look at the Slack Attack collection if you want to read more. (For imhereforgaysuperheroes and senforza and gracelesso and ravenlikeawritingdesk and everybody in the Fam.)
> 
> Also written for MCU Kink Bingo square Love At First Sight

When Bucky came out of his sleep in Wakanda, he knew something was different. It wasn’t anything physical, but it was as if a fog had been lifted from his mind. He stared out of the high windows, overlooking the farmlands and feeling peace for the first time since he and Steve were in their Brooklyn apartment. The peace didn’t last that long, since Shuri had immediately begun talking about upgrades for his left arm along with different ways to make it fit while not hurting him. Honestly, Bucky didn’t want the arm, he didn’t want the weight against him anymore.

 

But then she mentioned that Steve was still fighting, still underground and waiting for him. And he couldn’t leave his best guy behind. So Bucky let Shuri poke and prod at his arm until she had a prototype made and adjusted. Then he told both her and T’Challa that he’d rather not wear it unless Steve needed him; they agreed and he went out onto the fields, mostly for something to do.

 

They called him White Wolf, and Bucky liked that a hell of a lot better than Winter Soldier.

 

Shuri found him one morning after he finished his breakfast to let him know that they had one more test to do on the arm and he needed to be wearing it to complete it. Bucky reluctantly agreed and followed her into the lab. As soon as he entered, his somber expression turned into a grin as he saw Steve (and his new friends) standing off to the side speaking with T’Challa.

 

Steve immediately turned and gave Bucky the same smile he had been giving him since they were little kids. They met halfway across the room and Bucky gave him the tightest one-armed hug he could manage, feeling safe with Steve’s two arms around him.

 

“Hey, Buck,” Steve said softly. “You look great.”

 

“You still look like a punk,” Bucky said. “Staying out of trouble?”

 

“We’re making him stay out of trouble,” the woman - Natasha - said with a smile. “Barnes, good to see you again.”

 

Bucky just nodded to her and Sam before turning to Shuri. “The arm?”

 

“Right this way.” She patted a table with a large box next to it. “This shouldn’t take long.”

 

Steve stood next to him. “You sure you’re okay with this?”

 

“You sure you still okay with that ridiculous beard?” Bucky asked in return. “Seriously, it’s taking up your entire face.”

 

Steve rubbed at his beard with a small smile on his face. “I kind of like it.”

 

“You would.” Bucky kept his eyes on Steve while Shuri messed with his stump. “Where’d you go this time?”

 

“London. Wanda and Vision wanted to see Big Ben.”

 

Bucky laughed lightly. “It’s just a clock, or someone once told me.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what you say when you don’t think you’d ever get to see it.”  Steve glanced to Shuri. “What’s different about this one?”

 

“If we calculated correctly, which of course I did, he’ll be able to feel and have a faster response time. It was also suggested that we include weapons.”

 

“No,” Bucky said immediately. “It’s a weapon in itself.”

 

“Yes, you’ve said, which is why I didn’t. You’re welcome.” She hesitated. “Stark offered a form of his AI tech and we did include that, only because it helps with the neurotransmitters. So if the arm itself stops responding to you, you can verbally tell it what to do. Should help you in an emergency.”

 

Bucky wasn’t sure what to think about that, especially since last he knew Stark still hated him, but he trusted Shuri. No, he trusted  _ Steve _ who trusted Shuri. “Thanks,” he said, taking a peek at the arm as she lined it up to his shoulder. “Looks sleek.”

 

“Just the prototype,” she insisted, then pressed it into the socket.

 

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut as the sudden sharp pain flared down his left side. He hadn’t quite told anyone about that part, but he was sure he could handle it. It happened every time the arm was removed (willingly or not), and every time it reattached. He assumed it had more to do with his nerves connecting to the thing than anything else.

 

“Can you move it?” Steve asked, resting a hand on Bucky’s good shoulder. “How’s it feel?”

 

Bucky bit out a laugh once the pain subsided. “It’s an arm, Rogers, what do you think it feels like? Besides, she’s got to flip the switches.”

 

Shuri smiled at both of them. “I just need to make sure everything is connected properly before it becomes active, Captain. Give it a moment.”

 

Bucky let out a breath and let her do her thing. He looked back to Steve with a somewhat forced smile. “The goats like me now,” He said.

 

“Really? Including little Timmy?”

 

His smile eased and became more relaxed. “Especially little Timmy. He follows me like that three-legged mutt back home.”

 

Steve opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, Bucky’s left arm swung around and slapped him across the chin. Bucky stared, horrified, as Steve stumbled back a few feet. His left hand still hung in the air and he quickly forced it down to his side as the room went silent save for the occasional sound from a computer system.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he said, jumping off the table. “Steve, I don’t--”

 

The arm jerked again and Bucky stumbled as he was all but pulled toward Steve. Before anyone could stop it, his new left hand was back on Steve’s face, pressed up against the beard there. They stared at each other for a long moment before Steve waved at something behind them. Bucky didn’t have to look to know that everyone had drawn weapons.

 

“My head’s clear,” Bucky insisted. “I don’t... I don’t understand what’s going on, but I can’t move my arm.”

 

Steve looked in another direction. “Shuri?”

 

“I’m looking,” she said, voice strained. “I... is he  _ caressing _ your face?”

 

Bucky flushed and looked down between them. “Can we not talk about what it’s doing and just work on how to fix it?”

 

“I think it is caressing his face,” Sam unhelpfully added from where he still stood with Natasha and T’Challa.

 

Bucky was about to apologize again when he noticed Steve was shaking. Worry overtook his senses and he looked up to see that Steve wasn’t scared, he was  _ amused _ . When Steve noticed him looking, he burst out into laughter, tilting his head back and holding a hand over his heart as if it would escape his chest.

 

Bucky’s traitorous hand followed so it could still caress the beard.

 

“...Steve?”

 

“I just...” Steve let out a breath as his laughter eased. “Oh god, Buck, I just had a thought that maybe your arm is in love with my beard.”

 

Bucky scoffed, even as he watched his fingers scratched just under Steve’s chin. “That’s impossible.”

 

“Oh come on. Shuri said Stark gave her some of his AI tech.”

 

“Steve...”

 

“So obviously he has a sense of humor.” Steve looked back at Bucky and  _ nuzzled _ the hand. “It’s okay, Buck, my beard likes your arm, too.”

 

Bucky looked back to Shuri and scowled - she looked just as amused. “You aren’t fixing this,” he accused. “Where’s your screen.”

 

She shrugged, false innocence that Bucky saw straight through. “You sure you want it fixed?”

 

Steve’s hand on his waist had Bucky’s attention back to his friend and he hesitated at the look he was met with. “Let’s go get them acquainted, Buck.”

 

This wasn’t on his plans for today, he hadn’t actually let Steve touch much of him since right before the fight with the rest of the team, but... “Okay,” he found himself saying. “Okay, fine. If my arm is so infatuated with your beard, we should let them... be together.”

 

Steve beamed and there was no way Bucky could have ever denied him anything. Even if it was as weird as his prototype arm wanting to caress Steve’s mountain-man beard.

 

“Come back when you’re done,” Shuri said, amusement in her voice. “It’s just a prototype, after all.”

 

“Yeah,” Bucky mumbled as Steve led them out of the lab, “can’t have it doing this in the middle of a fight or nothin’.”

 

Steve’s hand moved lower on Bucky’s back. “I don’t know, I kind of like it.”

 

“Pervert,” Bucky said, though without much bite to his tone. This wasn’t, after all, the weirdest situation he had ever been in.


End file.
